


Day Two Hundred Ninety-Nine || That's the Key

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [299]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 09:23:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21251120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: With the philosopher's stone at risk, the little mismatched group of first years have one goal: stop whoever's attempting to steal it and revive You-Know-Who!





	Day Two Hundred Ninety-Nine || That's the Key

“Music...how are we supposed to do _music_? Anyone here able to carry a tune?” Sasuke whispers harshly as they all peer through the door on the third floor.

“Well unlike _some_ of you, I came prepared! Jiraiya gave us a hint, and I made note of it!” Reaching into her robes, Sakura takes out a wooden flute. “It’s not much, but...I think I can get it to work. Just be _very_ quiet, and let me do this!”

“Oh...l-look…!” Pointing, Hinata draws the quartet’s attention to something shining near the back of the room. “It’s a harp…!”

“Well that settles it - someone’s here before us!” Naruto declares. “And I’m telling you, it _has_ to be Orochimaru…!”

“Sitting here arguing about it won’t get us in there any faster! I’ll start to play, and then you three move _quietly_ and find the way through! Got it?”

The other three nod, and Sakura takes half a step into the room. Immediately, a great growling can be heard...but quiets as the Ravenclaw begins to play her flute. It’s...not the best, and a little off-key, but the beast beyond the door soon quiets...and then they hear snoring?

Stepping in further, she looks back and gives a guiding nod of her head, never stopping her music. Behind her, Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto take careful steps past her, hearts pounding at the sight of the giant, three-headed dog only feet away.

Gesturing, Sasuke points to a trap door. Together, he and Naruto manage to lift it, flinching at the loud creak it gives.

But Sakura doesn’t waver, and the dog sleeps on.

“Lumos…!” Hinata whispers, holding her wand aloft.

“...see anything?”

“Um...it looks like there’s something to land on…? There’s no ladder or a-anything…”

“...I’ll go first.” Clenching his wand between his teeth, Sasuke builds his nerve for a moment before leaping, landing with a slight bounce atop...a plant? “Come on, it’s a soft landing!”

Naruto follows, Hinata not far behind. The flute music then stops, and it’s not long before Sakura gives a screech, tumbling through the trap door as the guard dog snaps teeth just above the hole.

“Well that was close…” Naruto mumbles. “C’mon, let’s -”

“AH!”

All jolting, they turn to see Sasuke entangled in vines! And around them, even more begin to wake, whipping and curling around them.

Panic.

The more they struggle, the tighter the plant grips them...until Hinata brightens. “W-wait! Everyone, stop moving! This is Devil’s Snare - struggling will only make it worse!”

“Then how do we get out?!” Naruto demands, a leafy tendril poised around his throat.

“It’s repelled by light and heat...I’ve got it!” Managing to take out her wand, Hinata murmurs a spell, and bright blue flames erupt from her wand. Immediately, the plant begins to retract, loosening its hold until the four of them manage to get free.

They all look at the flora in shock, Naruto turning to her. “...that was brilliant,” he manages to say, still catching his breath. “You’re brilliant!”

“I...I just know my p-plants…” the Hufflepuff replies shyly, head ducking at the praise.

“Well, we still don’t know what’s ahead...but there’s likely a lot more where that came from,” Sasuke cautions, wand back in hand. “We can’t let down our guards.”

The rest follow him, the corridor sloping downward. As their footsteps echo, the subtle sound of dripping water can be heard. But as they enter a new chamber, the atmosphere changes completely.

A bright room, tall of ceiling and filled with the sounds of bird wings, is filled to the brim with what indeed look like birds. The four cross to the door, finding it locked. Sakura’s attempt with Alohomora does little, the portal still locked tight.

“...wait a minute…”

Turning to the Slytherin, they find Sasuke squinting at the flapping wings above them. “What?”

“...look. Those aren’t birds...they’re keys…!” Looking to one side, Sasuke spies several brooms, one left askew as though used. “...one of them must fit the door.”

“But which one?” Naruto moans. “I mean...there’s gotta be a hundred or more - we don’t have the time!”

“Maybe it matches the door?” Sakura reasons, putting her intellect to use. “It would probably be rather large, silver...maybe old-fashioned?”

“I’ll go after it.”

“Hey, me too!” Naruto insists as Sasuke mounts a broom. “I can fly!”

“Just stay out of my way,” the Uchiha mutters in retort, kicking off and beginning to chase.

The keys, however...aren’t eager to be caught. Like a flock of starlings, they quickly form into a shifting, writhing cloud, dodging their pursuer.

As Naruto joins the fray, it only gets all the more chaotic, the keys splitting and swirling.

Sasuke, ever eagle-eyed, eventually brightens. “I see it!”

“What -?”

Wasting no time, he streaks off toward a key with a jerky motion, one wing clearly injured as it struggles to stay airborne. It must have been caught and used before…! Pulling out every stop he’s got, Sasuke dodges attacking keys and manages to snatch the one he wants.

“That’s it! That’s the key!” Hinata cries. “H-hurry!”

The boys struggle to land, Sasuke fumbling with the door before they all collapse through it. Behind them, the flock of keys suddenly lose interest, fluttering back into the chamber as the door closes with a snap.

Practically piled, the group of first years managed to disentangle, catching their breath. “...there better not be much left to this,” Naruto mumbles.

“If this philosopher’s stone is so important…I’m sure there are,” Sasuke mutters in reply. “Come on.”

A short passage leads to a large, dark room. The quartet hesitate, taking slow steps before torches blaze to life to reveal…

“...wait a minute,” Naruto muses, taking another step. “...this is a _chess_ board…”

“What?”

“Look!”

Across from them are indeed the two standard rows of pieces atop a checkered floor: taller than themselves and carved of stone. As they make to walk across, the pawns draw their swords, blocking the path.

“...we’ve got to play chess…!” Brightening, Naruto turns around and finds the other set of pieces behind them. “...and I think we have to _be_ the pieces…”

“You’re...you’re good at chess?” Sakura asks.

“Shikamaru’s been teaching me! I’m not..._too_ bad at it.”

“Well...has anyone else played?”

The others all shake their heads.

“...guess we’ve got no choice,” Sasuke offers. “Come on - let’s all take pieces. Naruto, what should we be?”

“Uh...Sasuke, you take a rook. Hinata, a bishop. Sakura, you be queen, and...I’ll take a knight.”

They all take their places, the replaced pieces sinking into the floor and out of sight.

“All right...white goes first.”

Standing on their squares, they all wait nervously as the game begins. Looking over the field, Naruto’s brow furrows, thinking over his moves carefully before directing his pieces. Each side begins to feel losses...and then…

“...oh no…”

Sasuke glances back. “What? What’s wrong?”

“...okay, listen up guys. I’m going to move my piece...and I’m going to get taken down.”

“What?!” Hinata flinches.

“I have to. After that, Sakura, I need you to move to E7. That will win us the match!”

“But…?” The rosette looks to the broken pieces lose beforehand. “Naruto...you’ll…?”

“I’ll be fine! You need to get on to the next room.” Looking determined, the Gryffindor walks his path, standing directly in the sights of the enemy queen.

After a pause...she skims across the board, and Naruto cries out as he’s struck from his square.

“Naruto!”

“Don’t move!” Sasuke bellows, holding out an arm as the girls both flinch. “We have to finish this! Sakura...you heard him: make your move.”

Jaw trembling, she gives a shaking nod, walking to her designated square. “C...checkmate.”

For a long moment...nothing happens. But then, with a mighty clatter...the king’s sword falls in a signal of defeat.

At once, the remaining trio break and run to Naruto. He’s out cold.

Sakura, clearly fighting tears, murmurs, “...you two keep going.”

“But -?”

“I know some medical incantations. I’ll see if I can get him patched up. But you have to keep going...you have to protect the stone!”

Glancing to each other, Sasuke and Hinata both nod. “...we’ll come back for you,” Hinata murmurs, slowly following as Sasuke makes his way toward the next door. “Do you...think he’ll be okay?”

“He’s tougher than he looks...come on. It’s up to us, now.” Giving Hinata a glance, Sasuke studies her face for a long moment. “...whatever comes up next, don’t do anything brash, okay?”

“B...but -?”

“I’ll handle it. You’re smarter than I am...if we have any more puzzles - and I’m sure we will - we’ll need your insight. I’ll keep you safe. Okay?”

Hinata seems to hesitate at the praise. “O...okay.”

“...all right...let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Some Harry Potter verse! In this case, a rather direct crossover of the near-ending of the first book! It's been quite a while since I've read it (and sadly my copies are packed away OTL), so I had to cheat and use the wiki a little to remember some finer details, but I think I recalled most of it all right! (And the books are, in my not so biased opinion, far better...so I wanted to reflect those rather than the changes made in the movie!)
> 
> Rather than the all-Gryffindor trio, THIS setup sees us with a first year from each house: Hufflepuff Hinata, Slytherin Sasuke, Ravenclaw Sakura, and Gryffindor Naruto! A much more interesting arrangement, imo x3 Sadly I don't have time to do the ENTIRE scene, but we got the prompt line mentioned, and that's the main point - y'all can surely imagine how it goes from there!
> 
> Buuut anyway, it's very late and I gotta run! Thanks so much for reading~


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